Chapter 4: Unfortunate encounter
"Shin?" Hyorin mutters, taken aback by the unexpected encounter with her ex-boyfriend in the city of lights after two long years.
Shin smiles faintly and approaches her.
"How are you doing?" He asks. He seems normal.
"I am doing fine. How are you?" Hyorin replies, her voice shaking. Two years back when she bid goodbye to Shin and left for Paris for achieving her goal of becoming a professional ballerina, she acknowledged Shin and Chaegyung's marriage and tried to erase Shin from her heart, regardless of how much it hurt her and the tears she shed. She tried to accept the truth that Shin's heart belongs only to Chaegyung and that she can never have him. Then why does she now feel like breaking down to tears and running into Shin's arms even though she knows that the arms are not meant to hold her? Why does she feel like her heart is being stabbed?
"I am fine as well," Shin says. He looks straight into her eyes but she avoids making any eye contact.
"So, you are on your way to become professional?" Shin asks. Hyorin looks up at him. He is still having that faint smile on his lips. He rarely smiled that way at her before. "He has really changed a lot," she says to herself. Yes, Hyorin, he has changed. All thanks to his wife.
"I am doing my second year at the institution," Hyorin replies, trying to keep a cool façade.
"Good luck," Shin wishes her.
"Thanks," Hyorin smiles at him. There is an awkward silence. She takes a good look at his face. She has not seen him for such a long time. He is more mature now.
"I never thought you would come here," Hyorin says, breaking the silence.
"I am not the person now you knew two years back, Hyorin," Shin replies in a calm and composed manner.
"I know you are not the old Shin I knew. You have changed. I can see that. But I…" Hyorin pauses without completing the sentence. Shin looks at her. "But you…?"
"Nothing. Don't mind me… I have to go now," Hyorin says in a shaking voice and prepares to leave. Shin stops her.
"Why are you in such a hurry? I was thinking about treating you to coffee," Shin says and looks at his watch. There is still a lot of time left for Chaegyung to arrive. "I can manage treating her to a cup of coffee," he says to himself.
"Not today, Shin. Maybe some other day if we meet. I…"
"I am not willing to listen to any excuses," Shin interrupts.
"One trait of yours still hasn't changed- your stubbornness," Hyorin remarks.
"I guess you are right," Shin chuckles. "So, are we going?"
"Where?"
"Coffee shop?"
"Umm, okay"
Coffee shops are meant for feeling relaxed but Hyorin rather feels tensed with her and Shin sitting opposite to each other. She regrets agreeing to his offer of a cup of coffee. Okay, so Shin was never actually in love with her. The time they dated secretly, everything was perhaps just an infatuation, a fling for him. Then what about Hyorin? Was she in love with him? If she was, why did she give her dream a priority over him? If she was not, why was she hurt and almost killed her when he told her he was falling for his wife? More importantly, why does her heart hurt so much now that she looks into his eyes?
"Is the coffee not matching your taste?" Shin spoke seeing Hyorin hardly having a sip.
"No, it tastes great. I was just thinking something," Hyorin replies looking down at her cup of cappuccino.
"What?" Shin interrogates curiously.
"About the past," Hyorin replies and looks at Shin, waiting for him to say something but he doesn't. She decides not to say anything anymore and has a sip from her cup.
"I don't know what exactly to say to you now that you have brought this up," Shin suddenly says. "I thought you have forgotten everything and moved on."
"Do you think it is that easy for me? Shin, I had told you many times that the time I cherish the most in my life is the time I spent with you. I tried to forget those memories but I guess I failed at doing so. These two years… I don't know how I lived. Everything seemed to be so frail, I thought I am living in a decaying world but I tried to accept it. However, today I see you and I can feel the scar once again," Hyorin says trying to hold back her tears.
"It's better if you wash away those memories. It's better for you. I had told you this before too if you remember" Shin says. He doesn't show any emotions.
"I need someone to brainwash me for that, you know," Hyorin says in a shaking voice and gets up her chair in a fit of frustration. Shin looks up at her, surprised by her action. There were tears flowing down her eyes.
"Goodbye, Shin. I wish we never meet again," she yells and walks out of the shop. The people in the coffee shop stare at Shin, probably mistaking him for boyfriend of the girl-who-just-went-out-angrily.
"What did his girlfriend come to know about him that made her angry? Is he two-timing?" a guy at the corner asks among his friends, loud enough for Shin and the others around to hear.
Shin clenches his fist, trying to control his anger as he is not in the mood to start a quarrel with a random guy in a packed coffee shop. He pays the bill and moves out.
-x -
This was a short chapter yet it took me a lot of time to type. I had to 'backspace' a lot and I couldn't come up with some good ideas to keep the story moving on . (Maybe this is a side-effect of excessive studying for Maths exam #_#). Oh, probably I am going to keep this story on hiatus for now until my exams are over and I think of something good for further addition of chapters.
And PLEASE REVIEW! Your reviews are my source of inspiration to write. Suggestions for improvement are highly appreciated ^^ Thanks.